The present invention relates generally to an improved cargo well for increasing the strength of a trailer. More particularly, the invention relates to a cargo well configuration that significantly increases the strength of the neck area of the trailer.
Cargo of various types is transported by a variety of means, such as flat bed trailers, which are designed to transport various loads positioned on the trailer bed along its length, or at discrete locations thereon. In many cases, the loads carried by such trailers or other vehicles may be bulky and irregular in shape and/or weight distribution, adversely effecting stability of the load on the trailer. Coils or rolls of stock material, such as sheets of aluminum, steel, mill-rolls, belting, or the like, are frequently transported on the top of the flatbed of a truck or other vehicle. These coils can weigh as much as 15 to 25 thousand pounds, the length of the coil may vary up to 4 feet, and the diameter is usually approximately four feet. This provides a significant challenge to the trailer manufacturer to provide sufficient strength to handle these compact or point loads while minimizing the weight of the trailer to optimize performance and capacity.
It is currently common practice in the industry that a coil is secured on a flatbed trailer by placing it on top of a removable set of two parallel wooden beams with square cross-section, such as 4 inch by 4 inch conventional wooden beams. The beams keep the coil off the ground or supporting surface and serve as two edges of contact with the coil. The coil is typically elevated from the trailer floor in order to prevent the coil from rolling back and forth between the beams. Certain manufacturers require the beams to have a bevel along the top longitudinal edge facing the coil to prevent sharp edges from impacting against the coil and potentially damaging said coil. These parallel beams are held in their relative position using two cross members that extend underneath and perpendicularly to each parallel beam. At each end, these cross members are bent upwardly, then backwardly toward the opposite end, and finally downwardly, to form a generally D-shaped or triangularly shaped back stopper disposed on the outside of the beams to maintain their relative parallel position. These parts are not attached to one another, which assists in removal of the set-up. Using this set-up, a coil is placed on top of and between the parallel beams atop the cross-members. The coil is then tied down to the trailer bed with chains and chain binders. These chains are typically placed laterally over the coil with the ends of the chains secured to the trailer and tension supplied to the chains through conventional chain binders. Additional chains may be placed longitudinally along the coil through its central core and tied to the trailer similarly.
In aluminum flatbed trailers, the floor is typically comprised of aluminum in a honey comb or hollow configuration to add additional strength. The floors are supported by cross beam members connected to two mainframe beams. In order to accommodate the heavy coil loads, manufacturers have added additional support cross beams and/or have replaced the center portion of the floor between the two mainframe beams with a solid aluminum plate. As the aluminum plate is not as thick as the rest of the flatbed trailer floor, a well is created between the two main frame beams. The well creates a depression which helps secure the coil support members such as the removable parallel wooden beams. The above mentioned improvements have greatly enhanced the strength of the flatbed trailer, however weak areas still may exist at locations such as the neck area of the platform trailer.
The present invention overcomes these deficiencies noted in the prior art by providing a novel cargo well attachment providing superior strength and load carrying capacity. The improved cargo well of the present invention comprises a first I-beam and a second I-beam positioned generally parallel to each other. Each of the I-beams comprises a web portion, a chord portion generally perpendicular to the web portion, and an extension portion at an end of the chord portion positioned generally parallel to the web portion. The cargo well further comprises a metal plate extending between and fixably attached to the web portion of the first I-beam and the web portion of said second I-beam. The metal plate is fixably attached to the extension portion of the first I-beam and the extension portion of the second I-beam.